PAUL COLLINGWOOD insists the days of England doubting they can be the best in the world are a distant memory ahead of today’s third one-day international with Pakistan at The Oval.

Collingwood captained England to World Twenty20 glory in May.

With Andrew Strauss returning as one-day captain, England have since won the opening two ODI’s of the fivematch series with Pakistan and could seal another series win against the tourists – following the 3-1 Test win – today.

And with a 50-over World Cup to come in India and Bangladesh after an Ashes defence, Collingwood insists England will arrive on the sub-continent confident of landing yet more silverware.

“We’ve developed over the past 18 months in to a side that is very tough to beat,”

said Collingwood.

“That is a great stamp to have on world cricket and we are now getting ourselves in to a position where we can potentially win trophies.

“In the past, if we’ve played our best cricket at tournaments we’ve got to the semis but never gone the full way, but now we’ve got belief that we can win big tournaments.

“To go to places like South Africa and the West Indies and win a one-day series gives you huge confidence as they are things England hadn’t done before.”

And he admits the ‘new’ England are a cut above their predecessors when it comes to the shorter forms of the game.

“We really are adapting our game well to different conditions,”

he added. “You need that individually as a player – whatever wicket you come up against you’ve got to adapt your batting technique or your length as a bowler.’’